In the world of cybersecurity, achieving standards such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2 is a significant milestone for any business. It signals a commitment to information security and can build immense trust with clients and partners. However, a worrying trend has emerged: platforms and providers promising to deliver these complex certifications in eight weeks or less.
While the idea of a quick and easy path to compliance is appealing, it often conceals significant risks. When it comes to cybersecurity, if a promise seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
The “Fast, Cheap, Quality” Triangle
There is a well-known principle in project management: you can have fast, cheap, or quality, but you can only ever pick two.
- If it is fast and cheap, it will not be quality.
- If it is fast and quality, it will not be cheap.
- If it is cheap and quality, it will not be fast.
Many platforms promising rapid certification are selling a “fast and cheap” solution. By this logic, the one thing you are not receiving is quality. This is a critical compromise when dealing with something as important as your organisation’s security.
Why is a Rapid Timeline a Red Flag?
Implementing a robust information security management system (ISMS) is a detailed and comprehensive process.
- ISO 27001, for example, involves around 120 security controls and requirements.
- SOC 2 is even more extensive, often covering approximately 300 criteria.
These are not simple box-ticking exercises. They require careful planning, risk assessment, implementation of controls, staff training, and thorough internal audits. From our experience, the minimum practical timeframe to implement these frameworks correctly is around three months, or 12 weeks. As an example most companies take at least 4 weeks to fix the items identified from a penetration test, plus the time for the penetration test (1 to 2 weeks), environment setup and so forth and this is just one of the many security controls that need to be implemented.
Any provider claiming to complete this work in less than eight weeks is almost certainly cutting corners, skipping vital steps, and not implementing cybersecurity protections properly.
The Problem with Auditors
The issue is compounded during the certification and audit phase.
- ISO 27001 Certifiers: It is a common problem that many certifiers have little to no practical cybersecurity expertise. They are auditors who are trained to check documentation. This means they may focus heavily on whether the paperwork is correct, without having the technical experience to challenge whether the underlying security controls are genuinely effective or properly implemented.
- SOC 2 Auditors: The SOC 2 framework is frequently audited by accountants. While they are experts in financial auditing, they also typically lack deep experience in technical cybersecurity.
This gap means you can achieve a “pass” based on documentation, even if your actual security posture remains weak and vulnerable.
Paying Twice for “Cyber Lipstick”
The drive for rapid implementation often comes from persuasive sales teams who promise that “quick is good”. Businesses are understandably eager to gain the certification badge.
However, this approach is like applying “cyber lipstick” – it might look good on the surface, but it provides no real protection. This creates a dangerous illusion of security.
The result is that you pay for risk reduction but receive none of the benefits. Inevitably, you end up paying twice:
- First Payment: You pay with time and money to implement a fast, cheap, and ultimately ineffective certification.
- Second Payment: You pay again, far more heavily, when a cyber incident or data breach occurs. These are often breaches that a correctly implemented set of security controls would have helped to avoid.
There is a reason many companies suffer cyber incidents despite being “certified”. They have often used platforms to cut corners or implemented the standards themselves without fully understanding the technical requirements, leaving them exposed without even realising it.
Focus on Quality First
When considering ISO 27001 or SOC 2, the goal should not be to get a certificate on the wall as quickly as possible. The goal should be to genuinely improve your organisation’s security and resilience against cyber threats.
At Vertex, we focus on quality implementation. We guide our clients through the process correctly, ensuring that security controls are not just documented, but are effective, practical, and suited to their business. While we use our own platforms to make the process efficient and affordable, such as our ISO 27001 platform, we never sacrifice quality for speed.
If a provider promises you a complex security certification in just a few weeks, consider it a major red flag. True security is a marathon, not a sprint.
Navigating the complexities of cybersecurity compliance can be challenging. If you are considering ISO 27001 or SOC 2, or have concerns about your current security posture, contact the expert team at Vertex. We can provide tailored solutions that prioritise genuine, high-quality protection.